Hate the treadmill? Try dancing instead

It’s hard for most people to find a fitness routine and really stick to it, mostly because it’s not that fun or interesting to run on a treadmill or ride a stationary bicycle at the gym — it definitely gets monotonous. While looking for ways to get cardiac patients to stick to their workouts researchers in Italy may have found an answer for all of us — dancing. As many as 70% of heart patients drop out of their recommended exercise plans, and doctors wanted to find something that people would enjoy doing and develop a personal interest in.

The study showed that waltzing had the same health benefits as bicycle and treadmill training, and the hope is that because patients dance with partners and it’s a more social activity they will be more likely to stick with it long term.

This study was intended to help cardiac patients find an interesting and fun way to exercise, but there’s no reason the rest of us can’t steal the advice for ourselves! Whether you have heart problems or not, lots of different dance styles can get your blood pumping and make exercising more fun. Maybe instead of going to the gym for my workout I’ll head to the dance studio instead.

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